You found me
by Sophiacharlotte
Summary: Lost and insecure You found me, you found me Lying on the floor Surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you, where were you? Just a little late You found me, you found me You found me The Fray Carol AU - no zombies
1. Chapter 1

AN: new story :) let me know what you think. Trigger warning for child abuse.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 1

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lost and insecure  
You found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor  
Surrounded, surrounded  
Why'd you have to wait?  
Where were you, where were you?  
Just a little late  
You found me, you found me

You found me~ The Fray

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Dumb Daryl, Dummy Daryl, Duh Daryl."

Daryl Dixon slumped his shoulders, walking past the group of kids. Keeping his eyes to the ground he ignored them, only wanting to get out of town, head out to the woods. Where he was free. At twelve years old, school felt like a prison.

"That's not nice Abe, leave him alone." He heard one of the kids, Glenn Rhee he was pretty sure, say to Abe, the red headed asshole. "Besides, you wouldn't want his big brother finding out you said that."

Merle was the only reason that most of the kids left him alone, they were scared of his older brother's reputation more than anything else. When Merle was around that is. Merle had been gone for a month now. Daryl had no idea where. Just that Merle had left him. Left him again. To deal with Daddy.

Daryl flexed his little shoulders, flinching as memories of the previous night came flooding back to him. Daddy had been mad, and drunk and mean. Nothing new there.

"How's he gonna tell him? He can't say shit. He's too dumb to say shit." Abe sneered laughing but from the look on his face Daryl was sure that the redhead was starting to regret his decision to tease Daryl.

Merle, when he was around was viciously protective of his little brother. Especially given the fact that Daryl had never been able to speak. The doctors hadn't known what to make of him. He'd just never learned to speak. He'd tried god knows he'd tried. There were times when Daryl would run threw the woods and try to scream. But nothing would come out past his lips. Not a sound. It was why he became his daddy's favourite punching bag. He would never make a noise, when the old man's fist would rain down on him. A specialist might have helped, not like his parents could afford a specialist. Up until he'd started school he'd been written off as deaf and dumb. But he wasn't deaf, he could hear very well. Only Merle had penetrated his world of silence. Learning to read the little gestures that Daryl made. They had developed their own form of communication.

When he'd started school, he'd been placed in a special class. Daryl had known what that meant too. Heard Merle grumbling about his brother weren't no idiot. But in that class he'd found Miss Jackie, his special ed teacher. She'd realized that he wasn't deaf, and that he was in fact more intelligent then every other child in the school.

Miss Jackie had suspected from the beginning, but iq tests had confirmed it. "You're a genius Daryl." She'd said almost in awe, as she'd reviewed the scores with him. She'd quickly started giving him advanced work. He'd never gone back to the regular classroom, and he preferred it that way, fact was, he was to far ahead of the rest of the kids his age. He was only twelve but working on high school work.

Miss Jackie had also taught him American Sign Language. A lot of good it did him. No one else in the town knew how to sign. But she learned it with him, although she despaired the fact that the rural country lifestyle prevented him from going to a special school. For the gifted. He'd only rolled his eyes at that. No way his daddy would pay for that. Not when it would cut into his drinking money. The old man hated him anyway. Blamed him for the depression that had taken momma four years ago, it had started when he was born. Merle told him she'd felt guilt for drinking when she was pregnant, and smoking, and getting the shit beat out of her on a regular basis. Thought she was to blame for Daryl's inability to speak. Blamed herself until the point she couldn't live with the guilt. She'd overdosed on booze and pills.

Old Doc Greene had told him once he suspected that Daryl had bleed into the part of his brain controlled speech, Broca's Area, when he was still a baby inside his momma' belly. Permanently damaging that part of his brain. "None of this is your fault son...none of it."

"Uhh he can still write you idiot, and he can hear too. I heard Miss Jackie talking she said Daryl is a genius." Glenn whispered as Daryl passed them by.

"Pfft... if he's so smart why can't he talk..heyyy!" Abe yelled, as Daryl kept walking while flipping him the bird.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

His daddy died two days later.

Daryl had been out in the woods, Daddy didn't spend much time at home now anyway, and he sure as hell didn't care where Daryl was. He could smell the smoke before he even realized what had happened.

Coming cautiously out of the woods he saw the crowd gathered around the Dixon homestead, heard the sirens, the flashing lights. He saw Miss Jackie in the crowd staring up at his burning house, her face crumbled in fear. Tears rolling down her cheeks.

He'd quietly made his way to her through the crowd, tapping her hand, she'd turned and fallen to her knees. "Oh Jesus!" She muttered, gathering him into a hug. "We thought you were in there..." she pulled back and wiped her face. "We thought you were in there with your daddy." She signed to him.

Daryl stared in the house in shock. "He's gone?" He signed, and she nodded. "Yes sweetheart. I wish I was sorry, but ..." she grimaced not finishing her words. Miss Jackie knew all about his daddy, and the scars he would leave. Daryl knew she'd gone to the principal, the superintendent, the sheriff, hell the county judge to try to get him taken out of his house and away from his father's wrath. But unless Daryl would come forward himself no one would take her seriously, and Daryl knew that his daddy would make good on his threat to hurt anyone he cared about if he told. Daddy had threatened Merle and Miss Jackie.

But now Daddy was gone. Miss Jackie had taken him home to her house. He'd fell asleep on her couch. For the first time, in a long time he'd felt safe.

Three days later he'd awoken to Merle sitting in the kitchen with Miss Jackie. Somehow Merle had heard the news about Daddy and had come home.

Miss Jackie had offered, well begged Merle to let Daryl stay with her. She had no family, no children. She felt Daryl deserved some stability. More than Merle could give him. Daryl had sat in the hallway listening to them argue, his hands to his ears, as they decided his future. Merle being Merle had refused.

" He's my blood, my responsibility." Merle had snapped.

Jackie had been livid. "Where was your responsibility to stop your father from beating that poor baby on a daily basis."

He'd heard Merle slump to the chair. "I didn't know...l.."

"Umm sorry Sugar...it was never your fault. You were a kid. Lord knows I tried to get him out of that house. But I'm just a bleeding heart single woman in this town apparently and your father has friends...had friends...we both failed Daryl" She whispered with a sigh.

"Daryl's smart Merle. Smarter than you and I can only dream of. He deserves a chance. If you do this...do it right. It's not about you."

"I know".

There had been insurance money surprisingly enough. Enough for Merle to buy a house outside of town, and a small garage. Merle had apparently been away at school earning his mechanic diploma. Jackie had argued with Merle about living so far out of town, that Daryl would isolate himself even further, but Merle more than anything knew his brother. Knew he needed space.

He'd graduated high school when he was fourteen. There was no articles in the paper about him. Daryl doubted anyone in town knew the truth. They probably assumed dumb Daryl had dropped out. In actuality he'd started university online.

Computer sciences had seemed like a logical choice. It wasn't his first love, but it was easy to work from home. The woods would always be his first love. Software developing had come easy, he'd made a name for himself within the first few years. Money had become less and less of a problem. He and Merle had built on to their house, until they had a relative mansion in the woods with luxuries he'd never thought possible. None of that mattered to him. He'd created a program, one program that got him the attention of the government. Now he worked as a consultant for the government, designing software and hardware. He was currently creating monitoring systems for the national park. The transmitters he was currently working on gave him the perfect excuse to get out into the woods for testing.

He was pretty sure most of the town thought he was living off of Merle's charity, when in actuality it was probably the complete opposite. The house he and Merle now lived in was pretty luxurious, compared to the rest of the town. Not that anyone would knew that, no one came to visit them. Merle tended to keep his hookups away from the house, although lately he'd been on Daryl's case about getting out. Jackie had passed away from cancer five years ago, he had no desire to go into town for anyone else. He was happy, or at least content. He had his work, he had his house, Merle. He didn't need anything else.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Well this was not the way to make a good first impression. Carol huffed as she stopped to take a drink from her water bottle. First day of her new job tomorrow and at this rate she was not going to make it. She was going to still be lost, in this freaking woods.

After a week of moving into her new place, and preparing for her new job as a special education teacher, she'd needed some air. A hike had seemed like the perfect way to unwind. But at this rate she was still going to be finding her way out of the woods instead of at school tomorrow.

"Ok, no need to loose it. This is not that hard." She huffed to herself. She'd been hiking for a half hour at most. How in the hell had she managed to get so lost?

"I won't have to worry about loosing my job, I'll be dead." She groaned. Now she was being dramatic. Andrea was the principal at the school, she wasn't going to fire her, she'd practically begged Carol to move here, after her divorce. A fresh start she'd called it. Some fresh start, they'd probably never find her rotting corpse.

Ok enough time wasted feeling sorry for herself. Carol took a few steps, and that's when she'd heard it. The water.

The town had a small river that flowed through it. She'd simply follow the water. Perfect.

It took longer than she expected to find her way to the water. She'd always been light on her feet, which had equated to her been quick but today it let her go unnoticed. She broke through the trees, and that was when she saw him.

The man was a small cliff overlooking the water. The river was so beautiful it would have taken her breath away any other day. But not today. She exhaled a soft breathe. He looked to be around the same age as her, probably around thirty years old. He was staking something into the ground. It was a hot day, and she watched as he stood, the stakes in his hand. He set them down, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank from it, then let some run over his head. Her mouth dropped open when he pulled the t shirt he was wearing up and over his head. Time to let him know she was here. Instead of standing here gaping like a pervert, she thought. She gasped as he turned his scarred back on display. He turned in surprise obviously hearing her. He seemed to take a step back on instinct.

"Look out!" She shouted but it was too late she watched with horror as he stumbled backwards over the cliff.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: hey new chapter, hope you guys enjoy. FYI pretty much all the dialogue between Daryl and Carol is sign language. Let me know what you think :)

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 2

Son of a bitch. Daryl rolled to his side, gasping for breath. He'd only fallen a few feet, not far at all, but the wind had been knocked out of him because he'd fallen on his back. He was thankful that the stakes he'd been using to drive the experimental transmitters into the ground had stayed up on the river bank or he could have been impaled.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."

He could hear the woman at the top of the bank running to the edge. "Oh thank god! You're not dead!"

He could hear her, making her way down to him, he took a gasp finally feeling the air move into his lungs. He rolled to his back, staring up at the sky, when suddenly her face was above him.

His stomach filled with dread, as the normal anxieties and apprehension started to fill his gut. She was talking to him, his hearing was never an issue but for some reason he couldn't seem to make out what she was saying over the ringing in his ears. He stared up at her blankly, as she spoke, when suddenly she stopped talking and gave him a curious look and started signing.

"Are you ok?" She signed speaking at the same time as her hands moved quickly.

Daryl sat up, staring at her in shock. She was simply staring at him, waiting. He nodded, then signed "Yes". Suddenly his anxieties seemed to realize how beautiful the women kneeling in front of him truly was. Red curls framed her face, but it was her eyes that did him in. He sat staring at her like an idiot, drawn in by the colour as goosebumps started to trail down his back. She smiled and sat back on her haunches, and he felt a sudden funny thump in his chest. Like his heart was thumping wildly against his ribs, like a god damn cartoon character when a pretty woman walks by. He trailed his hand up to his chest self consciously suddenly realizing he was still bare chested. He'd been working all day staking the experimental transmitters to the ground and he'd been hot.

"You're sure you're okay?" She asked softly while signing. He nodded again and saw her hesitate, her hand trailing out to brush the hair out of his eyes, and pick a twig out of his hair that had become lodged in his unruly hair.

She turned and grabbed his button up shirt she must have grabbed before coming down the bank. "Thought you might need this." She signed and grinned, then bit her lip. Fuck, she was adorable. "Not that I'm complaining or anything." She finished with a grin and nodded at his bare chest.

Daryl felt himself flush brightly. Merle and Jackie had both hounded him relentlessly about getting out more, meeting woman. Merle had touted on to him about how his biggest problem was that he needed to get laid. Lifelong insecurities had always held him back. He wanted what everyone else seemed to have on television and movies. Daryl dreamed of a life that was different of finding that one person someday. He'd always told Merle he wasn't interested, especially when he'd offered to buy Daryl a prostitute. Daryl had been horrified at the suggestion. Merle had only snickered. But now he wished he'd taken their advice, not the hooker obviously. That wasn't happening, but getting out more, Becoming more open to possibilities.. Becoming more comfortable around women. Maybe if he had he wouldn't be feeling so godamn awkward at the moment. But he was awkward as fuck. A thirty year old virgin. Just like a damn movie.

She grabbed his hand, and helped him to a stand. It was as though he was in a trance, watching her as she helped him put on his shirt. He couldn't seem to break eye contact, he really should step back. Every instinct that had been bred into him by a lifetime of self protection was screaming at him to step back, put up an emotional wall. Keep her at a distance. But his feet, when he moved took a step forward, towards her. He could feel her soft breathe on his chest, as she threaded his arm through the sleeve. His head came down involuntarily and he inhaled deeply. Her scent seemed to fill his lungs. He had the sudden urge to nuzzle his face into her neck.

Fuck, what the hell was wrong with him? She stepped back, smiling at him.

"I'm Carol" she signed. "I'm lost." She snorted at the confusion that was obvious on his face. "Let me rephrase that, I'm an idiot, new to the area and went hiking on my own. I'm totally lost." Then she smiled so sweetly that his heart seemed to clench in his chest. "You found me."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

AN:

New chapter :) let me know what u think.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 3

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Daryl lay in bed staring up at the skylights that was a design highlight of his ceiling. He'd designed the house. Structural engineering had always interested him, and he really had no desire for his house to be designed by some architect that he did not know, or did not know him. He knew what he'd wanted in a home, and Merle really hadn't cared.

Daryl's suite of rooms, contained a open concept that backed up onto the river. The river was on the edge of a wild life preserve. No worries that anyone would ever build behind him, so, he'd taken advantage of the privacy and filled the wall facing the river with windows. He'd always hated to feel caged in. The contractor had been skeptical, that Daryl's design would meet code. They were although it rarely happened in a flood zone along with the occasional hurricane and tornado, but Daryl had designed the reinforced beams, as well as the skylights so that they could withstand pretty much anything. He was pretty sure he could survive the apocalypse in this house, not that he would ever have to. He'd simply known what he wanted, and figured out a way to make it happen.

That's what was keeping him awake tonight, as he stared up at the stars. This nagging ache in his gut, something he hadn't felt, well...never.

Daryl wasn't sure what this feeling was. It had all started today in the woods. When he'd met her; Carol.

Xxxxxxxx

Earlier that day

Xxxxxxxxxx

"I'm Carol."

He watched her hands signing her name, the soft smile on her face. Who the hell was this woman anyway? He could be anyone, a murdered, a psycho out her in the woods, and she was looking at him like he was her new best friend. Most of the folks were instantly wary of him, Merle said he needed to get his head out of his ass and smile more, that he was intimidating. He should let them see the real Daryl. But it was hard, so hard to get past the looks, the whispers. Most people assumed he couldn't hear either. He heard the whispers. The way they judged him. He never made a good first impression. He was sure this woman would think he was a lurking crazy man in the woods.

"Ooohhh are you a scientist?" She asked excitedly her hands rapidly signing out the words, she took a few steps closer, staring at the transmitter that had tumbled down after him.

He stared at her long and hard but he saw no mocking in her face, only open curiosity.

"Engineer" he signed and she looked at him expectantly. "Testing a transmitter for monitoring tagged animals.."

Her smile was still getting to him. It wasn't the way most people smiled at him. Those that weren't intimidated by him were bleeding hearts. The smiles were filled with pity. He hated that more than anything.

She didn't look at him that way. If anything he got the feeling she was flirting with him. He had to be imagining the vibe she was throwing off.

"Wow," she signed "Cute and smart too." She finished with a wink. A fucking wink. Dammit all to hell. What the hell was happening to him? He thought furiously as he blushed he was pretty certain seven shades of red.

He'd walked her out to her vehicle. She was a few steps in front of him and he couldn't seem to keep his mind of the fact that she had a fantastic ass. The tights she was wearing hugged her curves and he blushed fiercely again when she turned catching him staring and he almost knocked her over. Reaching out instinctively, he stopped her from falling pulling her into his arms.

She fit. That was what struck him first. All her curves seem to be made to interlock with the planes of his body. His mind was screaming at him, to let her go, she had her balance now. She wasn't going to fall on her ass. It would be a shame for her to fall on that ass. He was sending the message to his hands to drop to his side, but nothing seemed to be working right and his fingers only flexed slightly into her back. His body seemed to be yelling back at his brain that he couldn't let her go.

Her arms slid tentatively around his waist, and she seemed to nuzzle her face into his chest for just a moment, only a moment, before he let go. She smiled at him softly. "My car is around the bend I can see it through the trees." She whispered the words as she signed. He fucking loved her voice. It sent chills racing down his spine. "Thank you for saving me, for finding me."

He nodded like an idiot. Not really sure what to say. "My name is Daryl" he signed, and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Fucking hell he felt warmth spread through his chest.

"Our names rhyme." She signed with a grin. "That's fate I think. I hope I see you soon." She smiled and turned heading towards her car.

She'd turned once to smile and wave and she'd winked again. He'd stood there long after her car had disappeared wondering what the hell had just happened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Daryl rolled in bed, as he played over the scene in his head. The feelings he'd had since he'd met her, Carol, were still rolling around in his brain. Confusing the fuck out of him.

How dare she be out there, with her sweet smile, her adorable laugh and her unbelievable ass. He'd honestly wondered throughout his lifetime if he was asexual. He'd spent some time researching it, and he'd been honest with himself, he'd never felt an urge towards women or men. Nothing, not until that meeting in the woods. He'd been content. To live how he wanted, not needing anything more than what he'd been given. But now suddenly, he knew what was this feeling that was plaguing him tonight, keeping him awake.

When he'd designed his room, they had told him what he'd wanted couldn't be done. So he'd figured out a way to reach out and take what he wanted. Now Daryl recognized this feeling. This urge he felt to reach out and grab something. He wanted her; Carol.

From the moment he saw her. He'd felt that need start to grow. He wanted her and despite his immense knowledge, that filled his brain with useless information, he had no sweet clue what to do about it.


	4. Chapter 4

AN- I'm sorry, I really am. Not saying my writers block is gone, but I'm trying.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead

Chapter 4

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She loved her new job. Carol smiled as the last of the kids were dismissed from school. Their laughter was infectious, she thought as she watched them boarding the busses.

Andrea had been right in encouraging her to move, the staff was fantastic, and despite the fact that the school was a rural school, the special education program was fantastic. Carol had an assignment to work with five children. Each child came to her office for over an hour a day, and she worked with them to help them be able to keep up in the classroom, as the curriculum did not seem to take into account disabilities. Three of her kids were hearing impaired, which was part of the reason Andrea had wanted her to come work there so badly.

Carol's little sister Sophia, had been deaf, Carol had taught herself sign language at an early age. Her parents had not been as motivated. Her parents marriage was part of the reason she had left Ed, she saw that they were heading down the same unhappy path as her parents, it had lead her dad to drinking and becoming violent, it lead her mom to depression and suicide.

Carol's dad had never been the same after her mother had died, he'd blamed Sophia for her mother's death, Carol had tried to hold their family together. She'd gotten a job waitressing to keep a roof over their heads, running herself ragged at 16years old, until one night, she'd come home from her shift, to find their house in flames. Her dad and Sophia never made it out of the house alive.

"Hey you ready for the staff meeting?" Andrea interrupted Carol's thoughts suddenly, throwing an arm around Carol's shoulders shaking her from her dark thoughts.

"Yes of course" she smiled as the two friends started walking down the hall towards the staff room.

The staff meeting was quick, introducing new teachers to the older staff, Carol was new along with a new gym teacher by the name of Glenn Rhee. He'd quickly pulled out pics of his new baby to pass around when introducing himself. Carol liked him instantly.

The vice principal, Tobin something or other seemed to make a lot of eye contact. Carol squirmed in her seat, hoping like hell that would not become a problem, she had no desire to start up a work place romance, and honestly, she really wasn't interested in Tobin.

Her mind suddenly flashed back to Daryl standing on the edge of the river bank, shirtless. A heat pooling in her belly as she thought of him for what felt like the millionth time since that meeting.

Later her and Andrea sat in Andrea's office, giggling over Diet Cokes.

"I promise booze this weekend" Andrea groaned, "Can't come to work hungover tomorrow." She said with a mock frown.

Carol snorted "I almost didn't make it at all today as it was." She said with a grin then quickly told Andrea her harrowing experience of getting lost in the woods and her "saviour."

"He said his name was Daryl?" Andrea asked then got up to her filling cabinet flipping through the drawers.

Carol nodded curiously as a knock sounded at Andrea's door and Glenn the new PE teacher came in.

"Hey Andrea, here's the inventory of the equipment we have and what we need that you asked for." He said setting the paper on her desk.

"Just a second Glenn, you grew up here didn't you? you might be able to answer this question of who Carol's mysterious saviour was yesterday." Andrea made a triumphant noise as she put a folder out. "Here it is, when I was a new teacher I went to a conference , a teacher named Jaquie who worked here was giving a speech that was the reason I wanted to work here. She spoke so passionately about a special case she had when working here, she never said anything but his first name though...Daryl. He was thought to have brain damage from birth, couldn't speak. She was amazing in the lengths she went to, to help him, it inspired me to come here when the position of principal opened. So much so I asked for a copy of her speech, which she gave me." Andrea said nodding to the file. "She passed away a few years ago."

"Daryl Dixon." Glenn said with a sigh, sitting down on the chair. "One of my only regrets as a child was the way we treated him. We just didn't understand, we were kids, and...man that kid from what I know had the worst life. And we bullied him, for being different. I was always the little guy, didn't want to go against the crowd. I'm still friends with all those guys. Abe, Rick, Shane, Tyreese, Aaron, we talked about going out there to his house one day, just to apologize, but man, we figured it was too little too late. Aaron's boyfriend Eric, does some consulting work with Daryl's brother Merle, for Daryl's company. Merle is super talkative and proud of Daryl. Found out later through him that Daryl grew up in a pretty abusive house and that he was a genius. Can you imagine a kid being in that situation and unable to talk? Not being able to tell anyone? Not being able to ask for help. He was put in with Miss Jaquie and she quickly realized how intelligent he was. He never came back to the regular classroom, because he quickly blew through the grade levels. I'm pretty sure he graduated high school when he was like 13 or something." Glenn said.

Carol's heart squeezed painfully in her chest at the thought of all that Daryl had been through. "That's amazing" She whispered quietly almost to herself.

"Yeah, Daryl's pretty big in the tech world now, lives out in the woods with Merle who takes care of the other end of the business. From what Eric tell us, Daryl's pretty much a hermit." Glenn got up with a sigh, "let me know if you need more info Andrea, and Carol if you run into Daryl again, tell him ...I'm sorry."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He probably wouldn't be back here, she thought again for the hundred time, as she headed towards the river. This was crazy, twice she turned back only to head out that way again. She was out hiking she told herself, that was all. It was beautiful out here and the panic yesterday had made her not really enjoy herself. Today she had been smart taking her GPS with her, she was hiking, that was all, nothing wrong with that.

If Daryl happened to wander by that would be...that would be interesting. She thought firmly.

"Ughhh" she growled to herself. "Who am I kidding?" She muttered as she slumped down on a rock facing the river. If she met up with him again it would simply give her more fuel for the fantasies that had been running rampant in her mind.

She wasn't sure what it was about Daryl. From the moment she'd met him, she'd been drawn to him. Even before she realized that their pasts were surprisingly similar. It was his eyes that drew her in. It was as though they connected, or maybe she'd been imagining it all, making a mountain out of a molehill.

She groaned putting her hand to her face grumbling.

"I'm pathetic," she muttered to herself, "and an idiot."

Suddenly a thump caught her attention behind her, turning, she gasped at the site of Daryl behind her, just entering the clearing, staring at her intently as his hands came up in front him, and he signed "Lost Again?"


End file.
